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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · stick · chair · race · ruler · track

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. track — a song
  6. race — a contest
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a path
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — a leader
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com